A Spode ABC: a companion to the SpodeHistory blog. Information in alphabetical order relating to the history of the famous pottery manufacturer from Stoke. The company used various names: Spode; Copeland & Garrett; W. T. Copeland.

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S

Savoy Savoy is a shape modelled from Savoy cabbage leaves and was very popular from the end of the 1800s. The shape was registered with the British Patent Office with number 248670 on 30th January 1895.

Catalogue page, Savoy, c1900

A huge range of items, both decorative and useful, was made. A page from a catalogue shows table centrepieces, sweetmeat trays, comports, cruet sets, butter dishes, jardinières and teapots. The shape was produced in Spode's beautifully white bone china.As well as being available plain some patterns were produced on the shape which included Bridal Rose, pattern number Y2788 of 1931*; Dresden Rose (blue) Y2945 of 1931; Dresden Rose (crimson) Y2958 also of 1932 and Forget-Me-Not Y2999. A later pattern of 1969 was called Savoy and had the addition of a gold edge with pattern number Y8143.The shape was discontinued sometime in the mid-1970s although very occasionally reintroduced and was part for the inspiration for New England pattern in 2003.*The name Bridal Rose was not applied to wares shipped to Canada because Rosenthal had already registered that name there. Spode's Bridal Rose was known as Savoy Rose but was not backstamped as such. The centre was taken from Billingsley Rose pattern and was printed and then handpainted, until 1968 when it was converted to silkscreen.Also see Spode and Cabbage on my Spode History blog.

Savoy cabbage, inspiration for the Spode shape design

Savoy ('modern' pattern)

There is also a another Savoy pattern, of the late 20th century, produced at Spode, on bone china. It is not associated with the cabbage shaped ware. It has pattern number Y8563 introduced in 1990.

Seven Wonders of the WorldThis pattern is also known as 'Wonders of the World' and simply 'Wonders'. It has registered number 317544, which registered the design with the British Patent Office on 20th April 1898. It continued to bemade well into the 20th century.

The pattern was available in several versions all featuring the 'seven wonders' which are listed in the Spode archive as:

The Great Temple of DianaThe Statue of Jupiter Olympus (see image)The Mausoleum of HalicarnassusThe Colossus of RhodesThe Pyramids of EgyptThe Walls and Hanging Gardens of BabylonThe Pharos of Alexandria

The pattern was produced with an assortment of borders and on different shapes The plain prints (patterns in one colour) did not have pattern numbers. They were printed from hand engraved copper plates which also served as the record. The centres are known with a stylised honeysuckle border, found in classical ornamentation, and with the border from another famous Spode pattern, Tower.

2/4506 of 1898 - on Gadroon shape with Tower border (see image)S2753 of 1954 - on Mansard shapeS2757 of 1954 - on Mansard shapeS2984 of 1955 - on Gadroon with undecorated border

Shape BooksSpode's 1820 Shape Book is quite famous. There is more than
one copy. One is in the Spode archive. Another is in the Wintherthur collection and is available to browse
online. Click here to find it at their rather fabulous website Spode Exhibition
Online.

Spode Exhibition Online 1820 Shape Book Index

There are other shape books in the Spode archive dating from 1817 up to the 20th century. Those from the very early 1800s are similar, but not the same; one is a personal book rather than a company book. Those from later dates vary greatly. Many later ones contain photographs rather than drawings. by the time the company closed in 2009 many new designs were recorded digitally. These latter are not in the Spode archive.

Sheet Patterns (sometimes referred to as Chintz)
Some of the designs from Spode were known as sheet patterns. A sheet pattern is a design which is not engraved to specifically ‘fit’ different objects. Perhaps only three or four engravings are needed for a whole range of tableware and toilet ware.

There are two main types of sheet pattern.

Fig 1 Sunflower pattern (detail) introduced c1813

One type of sheet pattern is that which is a complete design in itself and was not intended to be used in combination with any other design. Examples are Sunflower and Convolulus as in Fig 1 (also known just as Sunflower or just as Convolulus), Grapes, Valencia or Vine sheet, Patricia, and Rosebud Chintz. Patterns like these could also have colour added and were then recorded in the pattern books with a unique pattern number - for example pattern 1864 of about 1813 which was a version of Sunflower, handpainted over the blue print in natural colour,s with a stunning red background. There is also another version in blue with a gilded background with pattern number 1931 which you can see on the excellent blog entry 'Spode's Convolvulus pattern #2', just click Dishy News.

The most common type of sheet pattern though is one which gives a uniform appearance. Some examples are Marble, Parsley, Star sheet, Fibre sheet, Thyme sheet (of which there seems to be two versions), Shagreen or Broth, and Moss Sprigs.

Fig 2 Cream tureen (detail), pattern 3716, Tumbledown Dick c1823

These sheets could be used on their own printed in a plain colour. Or they could be used as a 'background' to sprays of flowers or birds etc. An example of this type of pattern is Tumbledown Dick, produced in several versions, (in Fig 2) with Marble sheet. This is pattern number 3716 of about 1823. The decorating technique is complicated.

First the main pattern, in this case the bird and flowers, is printed from an engraved copper plate and then transferred in position on the pot. The transfer paper was removed, either by peeling or washing off, leaving the printed outline behind. The flowers, leaves, birds and branches were then painted with a water soluble resist with the wonderful name of 'ackey'. It was a mixture of flour and water. It was allowed to dry. Then the Marble sheet pattern, which was to act as the 'background', was printed in the required colour and transferred over the whole surface.

Fig 3 Parrot pattern (detail)

When the paper of this transfer was washed off the 'ackey' was also washed off leaving the main pattern visible. This could then be hand coloured and gilded in stages after the glost firing. So the main pattern is applied first and that which appears as the 'background' is actually applied over the main print. Other patterns decorated in this way include Parrot, Peacock and Parsley, King's sheet, Currants, George III or Raleigh, Primular (sic) also known as Wildflower and Primula.

Some of these sheet patterns were described as Chintz, which was also a fashionable term used by collectors in the late 1990s. Parrot pattern (Fig 3) was first issued under the description of Chintz in about 1910, the design being registered on 31st December. It was based on a Spode design of the early 19th century. Initially it was produced only on earthenware but a bone china version was produced in 1924. The background to the pattern was Shagreen also known as Broth. In a catalogue of 1911 it is illustrated and described as a Chintz pattern along with another chintz style pattern. It is often seen on toilet ware.

Fig 4 Garden seat in pattern B516 c1838-1847

Fig 4 shows a garden seat in pattern B516. The pattern was introduced in about 1838 and the Copeland & Garrett mark on this piece used until 1847. So this item is dated between c1838 and 1847. Other well-known printed designs such as Italian, Tower and Lange Lijsen first introduced in the early 1800s have their own sheet patterns for handles and knobs which in turn were later used for designs in their own right. (Fig 5)

Fig 5 Handle sheet for Lange Lijsen

Here is a list of more sheet patterns (with approximate date of introduction where known):

With grateful thanks to the late Robert Copeland for teaching me about ackey! Shoe
see Slipper below

Showroom
To find out how Spode marketed and sold their wares through their stylish showrooms click Spode and Showing Off

In the illustration the arch is lined with painted slabs by an unknown Spode artist. having previously been attributed to Hürten - click Spode and Charles Ferdinand Hürten for more about him.

Also see below for more on slabs.

Slab
The word used to describe a very large tile. These could be used for table tops, architectural panels, fireplaces, garden planters, etc., particularly in the 19th century.

Go to my T page and look at the links under Tiles.

One of a set of large monochrome handpainted slabs depicting sporting scenes for a grand house. This one depicts ice hockey - note the hats and suits. The monogram on the left is for the Spode company: WTC for W. T. Copeland; that on the right is for the artist R. J. Abraham

Slipper
See Spode Shoes and Slippers for more information about these charming items made by Spode by clicking HERE>

Soft WhispersSoft Whispers pattern was produced on the two-tone Flemish Green with Imperial Ivory body. You can find out more on my F page and looking at Flemish Green.

From 'The Fine English Dinnerware' booklet from Spode, 1959

Spill VaseSee Matchpot on the M pageSpode, Josiah I (1733-1797)
Founder of the Spode company.

Spode Saga MagazineAn in-house magazine from Spode in the 1950s. Click here for more information.

Spode Saga magazine, 1954

Spode Studio Porcelain
To find out about this pottery body go to Ballet Dancer Figures on the B page.

Spode's Byron

Spode's Byron pattern was registered with the British Patent Office on June 19th 1851 with registered number 79300. The registered version of the design shows a design with a trellis border and a scene depicting a girl giving a drink to a boy. This design does not appear to have been used in Spode's Byron pattern tableware but it does record the first use of the trellis border design.Spode's Byron pattern for tableware was first produced in the 1930s and used a different scene for the centre of each different shape within a service. The most popular version of the pattern had pattern number S518 and was introduced in 1933. The pattern was printed in brown and then hand coloured. A list of most of the scenes used for the various centres and their sources can be found in Spode and Copeland Marks and Other Relevant Intelligence by Robert Copeland (for details see my booklist).

Spode's Byron, catalogue page, 1961

Most of these scenes used in the pattern were derived from illustrations in the Art Journal published between 1849 and 1865. Pattern S518 is thought to have been discontinued on July 1st 1969.Spode often worked in conjunction with famous manufacturers of various products to produce items for special promotions. One of these was with the firm of Angus Watson in 1937. They were the proprietors of 'Skipper Sardines' and offered Spode sandwich dishes as a premium gift in connection with a sales promotion of their famous tinned fish. Although documents concerning the original project no longer exist it seems they had two different promotions each one offering the same object but with a different scene.

Skippers/Spode Promotion Ad, 1938

The object offered was a plate with a raised cross in the centre described as a 'sandwich dish' and the scenes used were described as Series 1 and Series 2. There are no other items in the series and no further series.The source for the design No. 1 is not known and that for design No. 2 is the one registered in 1851. Many, many of these plates were produced and are often seen today. The newspaper cutting shows the advert for the promotion and you can see the plate with the addition of a metal handle with integral fork - neither of which are usually in evidence when plates from this promotion are seen today.

Blue Byron, catalogue page, 1938

Another version of Spode's Byron was plain blue printed with pattern number S1688 which was introduced in 1936 and withdrawn in about 1966. It was known as Blue Byron. Part of the huge range of shapes made can be seen in the illustration.Spode's Byron pattern should not be confused with a much older pattern from Spode called Byron Views which was produced when the company was known as Copeland & Garrett (1833-1847). This is a completely different pattern and not connected with Spode's Byron in any way.

1930s ad with great marketing text!

The prefix of Spode's or Spode to a pattern name seems to have been used at various times as part of marketing the Spode brand under the Copelands and was particularly used from the 1930s until the 1960s.

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About Me

Loves pots, loves Spode! Former curator of the Spode Museum. Blogger/researcher/writer/speaker about Spode & Copeland history. Blogs 'Spode History' and 'Spode ABC'.
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